Person Page 3,797

Obituary (findagrave.com):

Thomas Evans Cannon, Sr., 93, of Roswell, GA, died Sunday, August 13, 2000 in Atlanta, GA.

A native of Florence, SC, he was the son of James William Cannon and Blanch Evans Cannon. Both families were pioneers in the early settlement of the Pee Dee Area.

Mr. Cannon entered Y.M.C.A. employment in Florence, September 1, 1925 and retired in Spartanburg after completing 50 years of service.

During his college years, he was employed by the Columbia Y.M.C.A. in the school months and Florence during the summers. He became the Director of Physical Education in Florence in 1929. He introduced the game of softball as a playground activity in Florence in 1926, organized the first adult league in 1929, the first league in Columbia in 1933, and was instrumental in the formation of the first All State Tournament. He has been recognized as "The Father of South Carolina Softball", and was a member of the SC Softball Hall of Fame.

Mr. Cannon was a life long member of The Episcopal Church. As a member of St. John's Parish in Florence, he served as the church Crucifer for nine years and several years as President of the Young People's Service League. During this period he served as the Diocese of South Carolina, one year as secretary and two years as the Dioceasan President of the Y.P.S.L.

During this period, he also served as State President of the Y.M.C.A., High Y Clubs, and as President of the Florence 1925 High School Senior Class and Student Body.

Mr. Cannon was also a camping enthusiast. He assisted in the development of Camp Nixon in Cherry Grove Beach for the Florence A.C.J. Y.M.C.A. He planned and developed the first Y.M.C.A. Camp in Columbia and directed its activities for several years. He planned and developed Camp Skyuka in the mountains of North Carolina for the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A.

and was its camp director until his retirement in 1976. Mr. Cannon also served as the executive of the Y.M.C.A. in Frankfort, Kentucky and in Spartanburg. Under his leadership the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A. as expanded to serve the family throughout the county, developing one of the finest facilities and largest membership in the Southeast. Mr. Cannon took an active part in the Civic Life of the communities in which he lived. While in Columbia, he served six years as Vie President and one years as President of The Lions Club, and as a teacher, Sunday School Superintendent and Vestryman at Trinity Cathedral. At Frankfort, Mr. Cannon served as Vice President and President of The Lions Club, Secretary of the Ministers Association, a Lay Reader, Sunday School Superintendent, and Vestryman at the Episcopal Church. In Spartanburg, he has served as a Lay Reader, one year as Sunday School Superintendent, sixteen years as teacher of The Men's Bible Class, President of The Episcopals, and two three year terms as a Vestryman at The Church of The Advent. Mr. Cannon served five years on the Red Cross Board, was a member of the Rotary Club over 50 years serving a a Director, and honored as a Paul Harris Fellow. In 1951, The Kiwanis Club honored him as the "Citizen of The year". He was awarded a plaque from the Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his services to the community and also from the Spartanburg Ministers Association in Recognition of 24 years as their Secretary.

Mr. Cannon also received many honors in his professional career. Among these Honors were serving as President of The Kentucky Y.M.C.A. Employed Officers Alliance, President of the Carolina Y.M.C.A. Association of Employed Officers, a Director of Blue Ridge Assembly at Black Mountain, NC, as a delegate to the Y.M.C.A. World Assembly in Paris, France in 1925, and two three year terms on the national Board of Y.M.C.A. SS, The Governing Board of Y.M.C.A. in the U.S.

Spartanburg Herald Journal, 8-15-2000 B4.